


through the smoke & rubble

by alwaysdistracted



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self Confidence Issues, Slow Burn, adding tags as we go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-09-23 00:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alwaysdistracted/pseuds/alwaysdistracted
Summary: Adora is supposed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. But when the sky comes crashing down, leaving her home, her friends, and herself in shambles, she realizes that maybe it's too heavy.Maybe it's too much.





	1. torn up

There's nothing quite like watching the world fall apart around you.

Every time Adora closes her eyes, she finds herself back at the same place. Hands trembling, knees unsteady, watching powerlessly as Queen Angela flies towards the center of the vertex to retrieve the sword.

Her sword.

The stupid sword that she was meant to save the world with. But she didn't, she couldn't. When it mattered most, Adora failed.

Adora buries her face deeper into her pillow and thinks about her friends. She thinks about Bright Moon, without a Queen. She thinks about-- God, she thinks about Glimmer, without a Mom. She thinks about Etheria, stuck with her; the lousiest excuse for a She-Ra there ever was.

* * *

"Can I come in?"

Adora sniffles. "Okay." She cringes at how hoarse her voice is.

The door creaks when Bow pushes it open. He stands in the doorway of her bedroom, a plate of crackers in one hand and a glass of water in the other. He hesitates before stepping inside, silently placing the food on the nightstand. The bed dips as he softly settles down.

Adora has to force herself to face him.

She knows she must look even worse than she feels, with her tangled hair and runny nose and tear-streaked face (thank goodness she doesn't have a mirror in her room). But when she turns to Bow, she's greeted with a tender gaze and a gentle smile, as though he doesn't notice any of that at all.

Neither of them seem to know what to say. Adora watches Bow's chest rise and fall. She wonders what he's been up to these past few weeks. She wonders what's been happening in the castle, the Princess Alliance, Bright Moon. She wonders if anyone has any idea what a mess the great, powerful She-Ra has become.

She wonders if there are still people stupid enough to call her a hero. If only she hadn't gotten captured and lost the sword...

If only she hadn't found the damn thing in the first place.

"Glimmer asked me if you were okay."

Adora looks down. She should be out there comforting Glimmer, not giving her something else to worry about. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her you've been spending a lot of time in your room lately."

She has.

"Glimmer has been too, you know? It's okay to feel hurt--"

Adora snaps. "No, it's not. I don't deserve to sit here and feel sorry for myself, I'm She-Ra. I'm meant to be a hero, Bow, but instead I'm--" She's interupted by a calm hand on her shoulder.

"Human. You're human, Adora."

* * *

Adora uses Bow's visits to keep track of time. He drops in once a day to bring her food and water. While she appreciates it, she wishes he didn't always try to start a conversation.

Usually, it's only small talk. They'll talk about the weather, make lame jokes, and argue, while Adora wishes he'd stop acting as though everything's normal. But every few days, the talk will get serious.

"Glimmer's getting better. She's surrounded herself with people, and she's started getting out of her room every now and then."

"Really?"

"Well," Bow pauses. "She figured she has to get better eventually. She's got a responsibility." He watches Adora's reaction. "There are people counting on her."

She grumbles. "Let them keep counting."

"Hey, you've got to face real life at one point."

Days like this, she misses the small talk.

* * *

Laughing. Crying. Screaming.

"It's what every good mission is made of," says Bow, as he gathers the now-empty plates and prepares to leave.

"It's exhausting." Adora crosses her arms. "I hate it."

Bow glances back at her as he closes the door behind him. "You live for it."

* * *

Adora's first shower is an hour long. She simply stands there, and allows the hot water to cascade down her body. When she steps out, it takes her another hour just to detangle her hair.

Once she's clean and smelling like vanilla body wash, she notices how awful her bedroom reeks.

She cracks open a window.

* * *

"You brushed your teeth!" exclaims Bow. He throws his hands up in the air dramatically, and skips around the room. "It's a Christmas miracle! Woohooo!"

"It's... Christmas?"

Bow smiles sheepishly. "It will be in a week."

Adora's heart drops. It's not like she hadn't noticed the snow outside, but she thought it was early November -- not mid December! Has she really been moping in her room for months?

"If it's been that long... the Horde must have made another move by now!" She paces her room frantically. "Oh no. This can't be good. No!"

Adora imagines a village on fire, citizens dying, all because She-Ra was too busy sulking to protect them. She imagines people waiting for help to arrive, only for it to never come. She imagines pain. She imagines chaos.

She imagines Catra smirking over it all.

"That's the first time you've mentioned the Horde," chuckles Bow. He grins. "Don't worry. You haven't missed anything. There's been nothing but radio silence on that end."

Adora collapses onto her bed. Her heart is racing. She has a headache. But she's relieved. If anything had happened while she was locked away in her room, doing nothing, she could never forgive herself.

She wonders if Bow would have told her had anything truly happened. Part of her thinks he would have shoved a sword in her hand and yanked her out of bed. She chuckles at the thought, as she sits up and gazes out the window.

A fresh coat of white powder settles over the valley. There's absolute silence outside -- no birds singing, no kids laughing, no wind howling. It's peaceful in the way that only a Winter evening can be.

Adora dares to let herself think again about Catra.

Where is she? What is she doing? Is she okay?

She thinks back to when Catra was all that mattered to her. She thinks about the time they were best friends. She thinks about the time they became enemies. But they never really acted like enemies, did they?

Never once did Adora want to hurt Catra, not even when they found themselves on opposing sides of the battlefield. Adora thought Catra felt the same way. After all, once she captured Adora then let her go.

And once, she didn't.

And everyone payed for it.

Adora realizes she doesn't care about Catra. Not about where she is, not about what she's doing, not about whether she's okay.

There was a time that Catra was all that mattered. But that was a long time ago.

Adora notices that Bow is gone. When did he leave? He was usually careful to close the door gently behind him, but this time he left it wide open -- an invitation. Adora rolls her eyes and sighs. She pushes herself up out of bed, throws on her iconic red jacket, and leaves her room for the first time in two and a half months.

* * *

Bow is hanging Christmas lights in the living room. He seems pleasantly surprised when he sees Adora come down the stairs.

"Need some help?" she asks timidly.

"Nah... though Glimmer's in the kitchen baking fruit cake." He steps off his ladder to shoot her a reassuring look. Softly, Bow adds, "I'm sure she wouldn't mind the hand."

"I haven't seen her-- or anyone-- since... well, you know."

"You're going to have to eventually."

Adora glances towards the kitchen. She takes a few nervous steps towards the entryway, then pauses. "Hey, Bow?"

He's back up on his ladder, trying to hang the rest of the lights. "Mmhmm?"

"Thanks. For all of it."

She doesn't give him a chance to answer, nor herself a chance to change her mind, as she marches into the room like a girl on a mission.

* * *

Glimmer is covered in flour. She doesn't notice Adora come in.

"Hey."

Glimmer's tackle-hug sends both of them hurdling towards the wall.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've also never written fanfic before sooooo... idk. but i'm inspired and it's good practice so i'm really just tryna pump these chapters out.
> 
> hope you guys enjoy :)


	2. holiday cheer

The Christmas Party is, surprisingly enough, Adora's idea.

After the hardest months of her life, she deserves some fun. Glimmer handles all the invitations and shopping, and (after tasting the girls' awful fruit cake) Bow agrees to handle the baking. Meanwhile, Adora is on decorating duty.

Glimmer tells her there's a cardboard box filled with lights, statues, fake trees, and ornaments downstairs. She leaves before Adora can ask her how she's supposed to decorate an entire castle with only a box-full of items.

Somehow, she manages.

Adora steps back to admire her hard work. Lights are strung over everything -- the walls, the television, the sofa, the tables. The living room glows green, red, gold, silver. Two four-foot fake pines are placed on either side of the entrance, where a mistletoe also hangs. There's a festive candle in every corner of the room, and little reindeer plushies all over the floor.

Honestly, it looks like a mess.

But the window is open, and sunlight dances off the falling snow in the most hypnotizing way, so Adora doesn't care to fix it.

Then Glimmer and Bow come back with candy canes, eggnog, gingerbread men and snickerdoodles, and they're super excited to see the living room and start setting up, and suddenly Adora's nervous.

It takes them a while to process it.

"It looks like you just dumped out the box, kicked a few things around, then left," says Glimmer.

Adora scoffs. "Come on! How do you think I got that mistletoe up there, then?"

Bow giggles. "Drop kick?"

A reindeer stuffie comes hurdling towards Bow at top speed.

His eyes widen, but Glimmer teleports him away in time.

"Unfair!"

"How? You're using your power princess She-Ra strength to decapitate me!" retorts Bow.

"Do I look eight feet tall to you?" She rolls her eyes, then smirks. "That throw was all Adora, baby."

She's too busy flexing her biceps to dodge the reindeer that comes flying back at her.

Safe to say, they leave the living room an even bigger mess than before.

* * *

Mermista is, unsurprisingly, the last person to arrive. Glimmer ushers her to the living room where everyone is munching on snacks and sharing stories.

"God," she says, once she sees the disastrous state of the living room, "who threw the temper tantrum?"

Perfuma giggles. "Bow was just about to tell us the story."

"It was a total battlefield!" he exclaims. "It was only reindeer, at first, but then Adora got desperate and picked up a chair--"

"Hey!" Adora crosses her arms. "I only threw the chair because you were hoarding all the reindeer. I needed ammo."

Laughter fills the cinnamon-scented room. It's going to be a fun night.

* * *

It's 1am. 

Spinnerella and Netossa left around midnight. Perfuma, in her kindness, also left early to help the very drunk Seahawk get home safe. And Frosta, who had begun to get tired, tagged along with them.

Adora, the most sober of those remaining, arrives to the living room with three glasses of water. Bow and Glimmer are passed out on the couch, so she shakes them awake gently.

"You don't want to be hungover tomorrow," she advises her semi-conscious friends.

Glimmer groans. "Go away."

But Adora keeps bothering her until she finishes her water, then does the same to Bow. As soon as their glasses are empty, they both promptly pass out... on top of each other.

Mermista snickers from the couch across.

"Should I...?"

"I mean, they look comfortable to me."

"And did you...?"

"Have my water?" Mermista rolls her eyes. "Duh. You don't need to parent me. I don't turn into a blubbering child when I drink."

Adora is relieved. Ever since Glimmer brought the alcohol out around eight, she's been stuck on babysitting duty. It got old fast.

She tiredly throws herself onto the couch next to Mermista and groans. She's exhausted. And she's going to be even more exhausted cleaning everything up tomorrow... but still, it was nice seeing everyone.

Adora wonders whether the next time everyone gets together will be for another party, or to make battle plans. Bow says the Horde has been quiet, and that's never a good sign.

As she looks down, she catches a glimpse of her hands. Pale, soft, and untouched. That's strange. All her life, Adora's been fighting. Whether it be training with the Horde, or on a battlefield as She-Ra, she's always been throwing punches. Those perfect pale hands have always been covered in scrapes and bruises.

But the only thing her hands have done in the past few months is reach for food and wipe away tears. So, for the first time since she was a child, Adora's hands look almost... delicate?

"Spacing out?" asks Mermista.

Adora rubs her eyes. "A little."

"Cool party."

"Thanks."

Even drunk, Mermista is still difficult to have a conversation with. Most people get ridiculously extroverted... but not her. There isn't even the slightest slur in her words.

"You handle your alcohol well."

Mermista shrugs. "Practice, I guess."

Adora nods, not expecting Mermista to elaborate.

"When my father retired and I had to start ruling Salineas-- it's a lot of pressure. I spent my whole life preparing for it, but having that much responsibility is not something you can ever truly be prepared for, y'know? So I did anything I could to take the heat off."

Mermista's deep blue eyes roam Adora's face, in search of a reaction.

"That was a long time ago, though. In fact, I'd nearly forgotten about those days," she continues. "Then when Angella died, I mean, I can't even imagine. Having to rule all of Bright Moon, and so suddenly, and while dealing with the death of your mother... I wouldn't be able to do it."

"She'll find a way," says Adora. "It's Glimmer."

"Yeah. I don't usually believe in people, but it's hard not to in her," agrees Mermista. "Especially after seeing how far she's come. At the funeral, things didn't look good. I don't know how you and Bow pulled her out of that hole she was in, but somehow you guys did."

The funeral?

Oh my God. How had Adora never thought about that? In the months she spent in her room doing nothing but thinking, how the hell did she not think--

Adora's heart races, a hurricane of emotions swirling within her. She's hurt. Why didn't Bow come and get her? She's angry. How could she be so caught up in her own problems that she wasn't there to support her best friend on the worst day of her life? She's confused. Why didn't Glimmer bring it up? Did anyone even notice her absence?

Angella died for her... and Adora couldn't get out of bed for one afternoon to go pay her respects.

"It was mostly Bow," admits Adora. She squirms in her seat. "He's really good at getting through to people."

"Especially her, I'd bet," Mermista winks.

Adora raises an eyebrow.

"They're totally in love. Come on, look at them."

Glimmer's face is buried into Bow's chest, and his arm is sloppily draped around her waist. Bow snores gently. They both seem completely relaxed.

"Or maybe not," adds Mermista, once she sees Adora isn't fully convinced. "I mean, what do I know about love, right?"

Adora smirks. "So you're not into Seahawk?"

"Do you seriously think I'm about to have girl talk with you?" Mermista rolls her eyes. "I'm not that drunk, blondie."

Chuckling, Adora leans down and picks up a fluffy blanket off the ground (how did that get there, again?). She scoots closer to Mermista so that the blanket could cover both of them. There's a moment of comfortable silence, before Mermista speaks up.

"Okay, well. To be honest, I haven't really thought about it. It's just, you know, we're fighting a war. And love and war don't really go together." She pauses. "Maybe once this is all over..."

Adora stares at the ceiling. "I don't know. I always thought love and war were two sides of the same coin."

"Could be. You'd know better than I would."

Adora stifles a laugh. She just let her best friend's mother die and didn't even remember to attend the funeral. Would a loving person do that?

Mermista couldn't be any more wrong; Adora knows nothing about love.

Right now, she doesn't even know if she loves herself.

* * *

Glimmer screams when she wakes up, an inch away from Bow's face.

Her shriek startles the boy beneath her. He shoots up, causing Glimmer to tumble backwards off the couch. She groans when she lands on the hardwood floor.

Bow helps her up. "You okay?"

"No." She clutches her head dramatically. "Everything hurts."

"Well, at least we know last night was fun."

"Yeah." Glimmer looks around the living room. No snacks on the table, no broken glasses, and no reindeers on the ground. The place is spotless! "What time is it?"

Bow glances at his watch. "Four."

"Oh. Adora must have cleaned up. Speaking of, where the hell is she?"

* * *

The snow is cold between her toes. 

She stands alone in a clearing, the dense woods looming over her like the dark clouds above. There's nobody around -- and thank goodness, because if anybody saw her meditating barefoot in such cold, grim weather, they'd think she's crazy.

And rightfully so. Adora's about as under-dressed as one could be on a day like this, simply wearing lounge shorts and a tank top.

The strong winter wind bites at her, and for a moment Adora regrets every decision she has ever made that lead her to this point. But she breathes in deeply and tries to concentrate.

Bow was the one who taught her about this form of meditation. He read about it in some ancient, translated First Ones writing.

"So you stand out in the cold for as long as you can?" Adora had asked. "Sounds stupid."

"It's to prove that you're just as strong as the earth you walk on, you know? You go out on a crappy day with nothing, and withstand the elements all on your own," he explained. "The monks who'd done it said it's all about finding your inner warmth, whatever that means. Not relying on gloves and coats, I'd guess."

"Still sounds stupid."

Adora's past self was wrong about a lot, but not that.

Now that she's here, she realizes that she was absolutely right. It _is_ stupid. No sane person would ever do such a thing. Yet there Adora stands, her bare legs submerged in the snow.

Maybe that says something about how sane she really is.

The wind whistles through the trees, causing the gray leaves above her to shake. It's an ominous sound, and Adora finds herself feeling slightly anxious. She glances around. All sorts of paw prints, from small and squirrel-like to large and bear-like, are imprinted in the snow that surrounds her.

She's overwhelmed with a strange sense of melancholy when she remembers the time that she would have been the most dangerous thing in the forest. But not now. Not anymore.

Not with her perfect hands.

Adora sighs. She watches her breath form in front of her, and drift away into the endless sky.

* * *

Adora returns to the castle.

Snowflakes are tangled in her blonde hair, her nose is runny, her skin is flushed a raw pink, and she can't feel her fingers.

She can tell that Bow and Glimmer are confused about where she went, about why she's dressed like that.

Adora figured that at least Bow would have a clue, seeing as it were his words (about a year ago) that had inspired her.

Maybe they're at a loss for words. Maybe they're being polite.

Either way, nobody says anything.

So Adora goes to the living room and sits by the fireplace. Bow and Glimmer follow her silently.

And she suddenly realizes why they're being so quiet.

* * *

It takes them a while to admit it, but they finally do.

"Maybe a half hour after we woke up," says Glimmer. "Yeah, it wasn't long. And you were out of the castle so we were pretty damn worried."

"But the guards wouldn't let Glimmer leave, since she's Queen and all now, and it had started to storm outside so I couldn't see further than two feet in front of me." Bow looks away. "I went to speak to the kennel-master, maybe release some dogs to sniff you out, but then you came back."

Adora clenches her fist. "God, just spit it out! You don't need to protect me anymore, I'm fine!"

Bow bites his lip. "One of the patrols came back from the forest, just west of here. The weather was getting bad so the Chief had called everyone back early, and the storm's picked up now so it's too dangerous to send someone out to double-check, but he said he's pretty sure he saw a group of Horde soldiers camping around the area. A small group, probably gathering intel--"

"Just say it!"

"Catra," blurts Glimmer. "He said he couldn't get too close, but he caught a glimpse of a Force Captain uniform. He said it looked like Catra."

"Again, it's hard to see out there, as I'm sure you know, so he could be mistaking--"

Adora glares at Bow.

She stands up.

"The Horde is back. Catra is back," she mutters. "And that's okay. Because I'm going to make sure that they never come back, never fucking again."

Bow and Glimmer exchange a look, but all Adora can think of are all those paw prints she saw in the snow.

"Where's my fucking sword?"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some fun times. and some not-so-fun times. but that's the holidays for ya, eh?
> 
> also damn, getting into the holiday spirit was hard when it came to writing this. i hope i managed haha.


	3. enemy spotted

Adora's heart pounds so forcefully against her chest, she's sure it will break free at any moment. 

She storms through the castle corridors as her friends chase after her. She's vaguely aware of them calling her name and trying to reason with her. But there's a ringing in her ears, and her heartbeat echoes throughout her body like a red scream into an endless chasm, so all she can focus on is finding her sword.

Her sword.

It's what caused all her problems. 

Adora's going to make damn sure it's what ends them, too.

* * *

Light Hope once explained to Adora that She-Ra's sword has a runestone in it. Even though the runestone isn't attached to Adora, like it is with most Princesses, it's still belongs to her.

This means she should be able to sense it.

And she used to be able to. She'd feel a slight tug in her heart, nudging her towards the sword anytime she'd lose it. But right now, she can't feel anything other than the heat rising to her face. 

Adora stops running through the halls. She glances behind her -- Bow and Glimmer had stopped chasing her a while ago. She tries to calm down a little.

Inhale. Exhale.

Adora closes her eyes, and tries to concentrate. In her mind, she sees the palace. She sees herself, standing outside the dining area, and suddenly something doesn't feel right. Every instinct in her body tells her to open her eyes and turn, so she whips around and finds herself face to face with Bow. And he's holding her sword.

Her sword.

"Why do you have that?" Adora's voice is low, but the anger behind her words is apparent. 

Bow hesitates before answering. "I took it away after... you know... it just didn't seem right for you to have it."

There's a puff of sparkles, and suddenly Glimmer appears next to Bow. "Ah, there you are," she says cheerfully, unaware of the tension between her two friends. But then she catches a glimpse of the sword in Bow's hand, and the dark look on Adora's face, and it doesn't take her long to piece it together. "Oh, um--"

"Well, that's unfortunately not your call to make," Adora growls, taking a step forward.

"C'mon, guys, how about we--" Glimmer tries desperately to diffuse the situation.

Bow scratches his neck awkwardly. He has never seen Adora so mad. He tries to reason with her. "You were really emotional. You still are really emotional. She-Ra's really powerful, and don't you think it's better you have a level-head before you transform?"

Adora blinks as she processes Bow's words. He spoke slowly, gently, the same way he spoke to her when she had locked herself into her room. Like she was some fragile, broken thing, and one wrong word had the power to make her fall apart. But that's not who she is.

Not anymore.

When Adora strikes him, he staggers backwards into Glimmer's arms. The sword tumbles out of his grasp, clanging on the floor. 

Adora bends down and picks it up, and spends a few moments admiring the way the light shines off the blade. She catches Glimmer's reflection in the sword; she looks disgusted, and disheartened, and disappointed. She looks up.

Glimmer glares at Adora for a few seconds, then breaks eye contact as though she just can't stand the sight of her. 

Adora's breathing is heavy and shallow. Her mind is still foggy, and her heart's still pounding, but she stops for a second to process what happened. A bruise has already formed around Bow's eye. She hadn't meant to do punch him, but it just sort of happened. 

Maybe Adora isn't as calm as she thought.

Glimmer's voice is low and shaky. "Get out."

Adora tries to justify herself. "It's mine."

"No," spits Glimmer. "It's She-Ra's. Did you forget the honour bit in 'For the honour of Grayskull?' That's a hero's sword. It's not for your petty vendetta."

But Adora's already walked away, because she knows that. She knows what her sword means. She knows all about its heroics, all about its responsibility... For fuck's sake, it's the only thing she's thought about for months, so she doesn't need Glimmer and her above-it-all attitude teaching her about it like she's some sort of history professor.

All Adora wants is closure. All she wants is to end the war. 

And she does not mind punching every single person who gets in her way or tries to pretend they understand how she's feeling...

Because no one does.

No one can.

* * *

Adora doesn't know where she's going.

Gusts of icy wind blow against her, and everything more than an arm's-reach in front of her is a dark, snow-covered blur. Each step is harder to take than the last, and all she can hear is the deafening roar of the blizzard in her ear.

But she keeps going. For what feels like hours, she walks. Through the valley, through the heart of the blizzard, through the forest... until, finally, she's feels safe. The tall, hundred year-old trees sway in the wind like flags, which is intially concerning, but the deeper she goes into the woods, the less the storm can penetrate.

Beyond the forest, the world is tearing itself apart. But in here, everything's eerily calm. Everything's okay. Adora can't even hear the howling storm.

But she hears yelling. And it reminds her why she came in the first place.

Adora climbs a tree (not to the top, of course), and makes her way through the brush by swinging from branch-to-branch. It's a hard feat to accomplish with a sword in her hand, but she manages. The shouting gets louder until it's coming from directly below her, so Adora looks down.

There she is. In her Force Captain uniform, her hair wild and caked in snow, there's Catra.

Adora's hand trembles, and she almost falls out of the tree. Part of her didn't expect the Horde to be there. Bow said the guard sounded so uncertain... and yet there they are. 

There she is.

Adora grips the hilt of her sword so hard, her knuckles look frostbitten. She half-smiles when she notices the bruising around her hand. No longer perfect.

And Adora realizes she sounds crazy, grinning at the fact that she punched her best friend so hard that her hand is bruised, but she doesn't care. Because Catra is right below her, and Adora is going to kill her.

But then the person that Catra has been yelling at steps out of the shadows, and it's Scorpia, and Adora realizes that she hasn't swung her sword in months, and it's cold, and there's no way she'll be able to take them both on.

So she figures she'll wait out their conversation.

* * *

"I don't care if they're asking fucking questions, I'm their Force Captain. Tell them I'll rip out their tongues."

"I-I know, but we've been walking for days, and you still haven't told anyone where we're going, so it's hard to blame them for wondering. And I'm wondering too."

"We're going to get Entrapta back. I told you."

"Yeah, but, um, you told me that you sent her to... y'know... to Beast Island?"

"I did."

"Then why are we at Bright Moon?"

"Because that's where I told Hordak she went. I told him she defected, alright? And don't ask me why, it seemed smart at the time, but now we need her fucking back because some sort of signal was sent off? I don't know, I don't understand this tech shit, but Hordak said his boss is coming and he shouldn't be, so we really, really, need Entrapta back to fix it."

"But what if she's... dead?"

"I don't fucking know, Scorpia! I don't know! Okay? I just-- I know I fucked up. I know I fucked up. And now I have to fix it without anyone knowing. We just go East to Bright Moon, then we'll loop around and take a boat to Beast Island. We should be there soon. Only a few more days, unless the weather decides to keep being so shitty up here in this shit hole and--"

"Catra."

"What if she's dead? God, she probably is, and we're probably gonna die getting her back, and it's my mistake and no one deserves to die because I'm a screw up, so how about you take everyone back?"

"Catra."

"Seriously, you can go. You don't need to--"

"Hey. It's okay. We can go the long way. The cadets'll understand. I'll just tell them that we'll rip out their tongues, okay?"

"... Okay. Sorry. I've had a lot on my mind recently, I didn't mean to blow up."

"No. I like it. I like that you can confide in me."

"I guess."

* * *

And then they both head into a Force Captain tent, and Adora figures that they're not coming back out for a while.

But it doesn't matter, because she changed her goal midway through Catra's conversation, anyways. 

* * *

Adora doesn't have much to pack. She takes a few cans of food, dozens of water bottles, and a spare change in clothes. She wants to take a roll-up tent, but she figures it's best she travels lightly, so she just shoves a fluffy blanket in her bag instead.

And it's as she's zips it up that the door to her bedroom swings open. Glimmer stands awkwardly at the entrance.

Adora doesn't invite her in.

She slings her bag over her shoulder and starts to leave, but Glimmer's standing in the doorframe.

"Move."

Glimmer steps aside. "So you're really going?"

"If I can get Entrapta back--"

"What? It'll hit Catra where it hurts?"

Adora rolls her eyes. "You know it's our best move, strategically. And it's my fault we lost her in the first place. I got captured--"

"I did, too."

"This is our chance to get her back. And if she's on Beast Island... we have to save her. She's our friend."

Glimmer looks down. She knows that when Adora's made up her mind, it's nearly impossible to change it. But she tries. "Two Force Captains are away, the Fright Zone is probably still a mess from the explosion... now's the best time for us to hit it. Under my mom, the rebellion's always played on the defensive. I want to call the Princess Alliance... it's time we play offense."

Adora nods. "Good strategy. Kick them while they're down so they can't get back up."

"And they won't expect it." Glimmer smiles. "Someone else can go get Entrapta. It doesn't have to be you. She-Ra will be more helpful in the battle."

"Who else will go? We both know I'm the only one who stands a shot. And you have to stay here, Glimmer. You've got an attack to plan and a castle to rule."

"Maybe Bow can come--"

Adora's face goes red. "No, that's okay. I don't think I can face him right now."

"He knows you're sorry."

Adora plays with the strap slung over her shoulder. There's nothing to say. So she smiles gently at Glimmer, and walks past her.

"Please come back!" Glimmer half-jokes. 

"Please be here when I come back," Adora half-jokes back.

And as Adora steps outside the castle, she remembers how only two nights ago, they were planning a party, not an attack. They were throwing reindeer, not punches. They were enjoying life, not trying desperately to stay alive.

It's strange how quickly they were thrown back into the war. She's tired of it. But there's the little moments in between the fighting... and it's those moments that she's fighting for. So how can she stop?

Adora whistles sharply into the starlit night sky, and it only takes a few minutes for Swift Wind to find her. He doesn't say anything as she hops onto his back. The storm has died down. Bright Moon is calm, and peaceful, and safe. But Adora's job has never been to stay where it's safe.

And the weight of her bag is nothing like the the weight of the world's eyes. It feels like all the stars, all the Gods, all the past Princesses and even Destiny itself is watching her, depending on her, expecting her to succeed.

And it's so much pressure, it's suffocating. 

But someone has to do it. 

Swift Wind flaps his wings and soars into the air. The world becomes tiny at Adora's feet, and for a moment, she realizes that maybe she can.

Maybe she can do it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a mess. but i was an angry, sad mess writing it bc i'm going thru a break up. 
> 
> but i'll get thru it, prolly, with lots of cigs, tequila, and writing.
> 
> so expect more chapters. soon.
> 
> enjoy :)


	4. adventure beyond

Swift Wind and Adora soar through the night.

The sky is clear and the moon is new, so the stars shine brightly, lighting their way to Beast Island. Adora finds herself mesmerized by them, and spends the entirety of the first night counting them, tracing constellations, and making wishes.

She'd feel childish, if she didn't feel so inspired. 

People are counting on her again. They're depending on her. They believe in her.

Adora's been given another chance to be the hero her friends need her to be. One of the first mistakes she ever made as She-Ra was losing Entrapta, leaving her behind at the Horde. Finally, Adora can rescue her. She can undo the damage she did.

Adora doesn't know if she wants to save the world. She doesn't know if she can. 

But this? Maybe Adora can do this right.

* * *

The sun rises directly in front of them, its strong rays forcing Swift Wind to land for a few minutes. He paws at his eyes.

"Do you want to rest for a bit?" asks Adora. 

Swift Wind yawns. "No. I'm okay."

But Adora's exhausted, and all she did was sit on his back, so she demands they set up camp. "Besides, we're riding east. It's not like you can see anything in the morning. We should wait until noon, when the sun's overhead."

Swift Wind doesn't argue. He finds a comfortable spot beneath a tree and settles in. He's snoring within minutes. 

Meanwhile, Adora tears through the bag she packed so meticulously only hours prior in search of a few items. She pulls out her blanket and a water bottle, then snuggles up next to Swift Wind. 

She dozes off, pressed into his warm, fluffy body. 

* * *

"Adora. Get up!" 

Adora groans, as Swift Wind nudges her adamantly. "Go away."

"Get up!" he hisses. 

Adora runs her hand through her blonde hair, all wild and messy and matted. She blinks a few times to adjust to the daylight, and rises to her feet. 

"I woke up a few minutes ago and did a quick fly-around and there's a Horde group a few miles down walking this way and--"

"What?! How did they travel so quickly?" Adora shoves her things back into her bag, and hops onto Swift Wind's back. "They must have traveled all night too, right? And all morning."

Swift Wind leaps into the air, eastbound. "Don't worry. If I can keep up a decent speed, we'll be at Beast Island tomorrow morning. And it'll take them at least a day longer than that to make it there by foot, or boat, or whatever."

Adora sighs shakily. 

That means she'll only have a day or so to find Entrapta...

... or what's left of her.

* * *

Adora's shocked when she learns about Swift Wind's long list of ex-girlfriends. Turns out, he used to be quite the casanova.

"She was a pretty thing. Her mane was always a bit unruly, but her coat was the neatest I'd ever seen so I guess it was more a style thing than a hygeine issue. She was one of those quiet types, y'know, but you can tell that they've got so much to say and they're just holding themselves back."

Adora stifles a laugh. "She was the one?"

"No. There's no such thing as the one. Not for us horses," explains Swift Wind. "There's just pretty mares, and handsome stallions, and love. And love comes and it goes, first with Blue Sky, then with Sprinkles, then with Pheonix, then with Fairytale. You know? Forever doesn't exist. And we horses accept that, so we prance through fields and drink from streams and love boundlessly. We don't try to force a forever."

Adora blows the hair out of her face. "Yeah, but don't you want a forever?"

"I've got you, right? Can't really ask for more."

* * *

A hawk has decided to follow them.

At first, Adora thought it was a coincidence, but it's been an hour and the hawk has flown parallel to them the whole time. The distance between them has also closed considerably.

"I'm telling you, Swift, it's been staring at us this whole time."

"That's because it's a bird, Adora, it's got an eye on either side of its head."

Adora glances over at the hawk. It's almost within arms-reach. Surely, that's strange, right? Maybe she should just slap it out of the air. "Do you think it's a spy?"

"Do I think it's a...?" Swift Wind scoffs. "Adora, do you have altitude sickness? Should I fly lower?"

"Doesn't matter how high or low you fly," mumbles Adora. "It'll follow."

And Adora's right. The hawk sticks with them until the ground beneath their feet turns blue, and they're flying over the sea.

* * *

The sun has long set behind them, and the stars have come out to join them again. 

The night is a bit too chilly for Adora's liking, and the wind on her face has a salty taste to it, but she's too excited to care. A small island of volcanic mountains has poked its head over the horizon. Adora thought she'd feel nervous or anxious, but instead, she's invigorated. 

Her hand rests on the sword strapped to her belt. 

She wonders if she'll have to use it.

* * *

Swift Wind lands on the coast.

The water is a green, angry colour. Powerful waves batter the sandy shore, as the dark clouds overhead cast an ominous shadow. It's straight out of a nightmare.

Adora holds her sword in front of her, and eyes the land. No threats nearby. She and Swift Wind advance cautiously, all their senses on red alert. 

Even when nothing happens, Adora doesn't lower her guard.

* * *

"Is that a bar?" asks Swift Wind.

"I'm more surprised about the streets," says Adora, gesturing towards the ground beneath their feet. It's paved over. There are streetlamps and houses all around them. When they got past the brush around the coast, they found a civilized city at the heart of the island.

Adora has yet to see anyone. No person. No beast.

But it's late, and if they truly are civilized, then they would be sleeping, right? 

"Let's go in, Adora!" Swift Wind frolics towards the entrance. After some hesitation, Adora follows.

* * *

It's a rustic place. Wooden floors, counters, tables, chairs. There's a fireplace. It's a bit tacky, but still welcoming. Every seat at the bar is taken. Some by people, others by... half-people. Animal-human hybrids, like Rogelio and Catra. 

Those are the beasts? Seriously?

And while Adora is underwhelmed, she can't help but feel giddy. Beast Island is a sham -- it's not dangerous at all. In fact, it'd make a pretty good vacation spot... which means, Entrapta must be alive!

So Adora saunters towards the bar, grins at the bartender, and gives him an enthustiastic, "Hi!"

He's a buff guy with shaggy brown hair and stubble all over his jaw. "Hello?"

Adora feels the whole pub's eyes on her. "Does anyone here know an Entrapta? She's got crazy pink hair that does things, and she's loud, so I imagine you'd know her--"

The bartender grimaces. "Who're you? And why do you want to know?"

Swift Wind shifts nervously. "Adora, I--"

"I'm Adora. Tell her that Adora is here, and that I want to speak to her. Trust me."

The bartender glances at her sword. He raises an eyebrow. "You're armed... they don't usually send prisoners here armed. Did you... come here on purpose?"

She nods.

"Well, that's hardcore. Ain't it, guys?" He yells out to the bar, raising a glass. "To Adora! Who would dive into certain doom, just for a friend!" 

The pub chants Adora's name. She flushes, unable to say anything. 

"You want 'Trapta? Well, head towards the sunset, she's the cabin on the beach. She likes the solitude." The bartender smiles warmly. "And if you're planning on leaving the island, keep our secret, yeah?"

* * *

Entrapta's door is a dull red. Swift Wind hammers at it with his hooves.

"Don't knock so aggresively, bud."

But the door swings open, and Entrapta stands there wide-eyed. "What did you do, Adora?"

"Nothing. I came here for you. Because we don't leave anyone behind."

And she's invited inside with a warm, strong, hug, and for once, Adora feels like she's suceeded.

* * *

They chat over a cup of coffee the next day.

Turns out, Entrapta's rather happy at Beast Island. She likes the people, she's taken advantage of the natural resources there, such as the volcanic ash. She's been building machines to automate menial tasks like cleaning and dusting, and selling them to make money.

Life's good.

But Adora opens up all sorts of closed wounds when she begins talking about the Horde.

"I just... I don't know who my friends are, Adora. You guys never came back for me. Catra took me in, and then she threw me away like trash. Who are my friends?"

So Adora does what she can to make Entrapta believe that she's her friend. That she wants her, misses her. And when she's said all that she can, when she's told her the truth about everything, Adora tells Entrapta that she's a First One. 

"You are? How is that possible?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything about myself." Adora shakes her head. "But I want to. And you can help, maybe. That's not the only reason I'm here, obviously, I'm here to make things right. But everything's crazy back at Bright Moon, and Glimmer's Mom died and--"

"Queen Angella is dead?"

"Our friends need you. I need you. Please come back."

And so it only took two lattes and a bit of honesty to get Entrapta packing her things.

* * *

There's a pounding at the dull red door.

Entrapta's upstairs, so Adora answers it.

"Hey, Adora."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay i updated again. 
> 
> i really didn't think it'd take so long, but it did, and i'm really sorry. my life's actually been such a mess, lol. got into a fight and can't really use my right hand, so typing stuff is rly hard. but i'm gonna try to get the next chap up in a week. 
> 
> if you're liking this story, or u have any thoughts or critiques, please comment them. or if u wanna talk, idc. i just like reading comments. and my life sorta sucks right now sooo y'all owe me some pity comments, lol. 
> 
> srsly though, take care of urselves. am loving the support. love u, bye


	5. not expected

It doesn't make sense.

How did they get there so quickly? It shouldn't be possible. Yet there stands Catra, leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe, with Scorpia and four other Horde soldiers backing her.

Adora reaches for her sword.

Catra smirks. "I'm not here for you, princess. I need Entrapta."

She tries to push past Adora, but the blonde stands her ground. "She's not going anywhere with you."

Catra raises an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."

And those four words set off an avalanche inside Adora. She feels her breath hitch and her knuckles tighten, as cold fury spirals within her. It's rushing through her bloodstream. Her head, her heart, her everything is pounding. She can't see Catra anymore. All she sees is the the girl who pulled the switch, who killed Glimmer's Mom, who broke Adora so badly she doesn't know whether she'll ever be okay again.

She doesn't see Catra.

She sees the girl who does everything she can to destory the world Adora's trying so desperately to save.

So, there's no need to think about it. It isn't a hard decision to make. Adora whips out her sword and shouts and suddenly there's more than fury in her bloodstream. There's light, and hope, and raw strength.

Catra's eyes widen.

She-Ra scoffs. "You didn't expect a fight?"

* * *

When She-Ra's sword comes swinging towards Catra, Scorpia's the first to react.

She screams, and it's a shrill, panicked sound, and it sets everyone into motion. Catra stumbles backwards, narrowly missing the attack. She takes a few steps backwards, off Entrapta's porch and into the surrounding woods.

She-Ra ducks through the door. She rushes towards Catra with another high-powered attack. Her sword slices through the air in a frenzy, so quick and wild that it's a blur. Catra struggles to dodge the hits. She's not used to playing defensively with She-Ra. Catra weaves between trees in an attempt to lure She-Ra to a denser part of the woods where it'd be harder for an eight-foot-tall princess to navigate.

Then She-Ra feels a sharp jab to her side: a kick. She'd been too focused on Catra, everything else had disappeared. This allowed one of the Horde soldiers to land a hit on her.

She-Ra shakes her head, trying to refocus. She's a little out of practice, but it's fine. She turns towards the soldier, raises her sword above her head, and hammers it down with all her weight behind it. She hits her mark, and the soldier crumples to the ground.

She-Ra breathes heavily, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She feels movement behind her. She-Ra whips around, swinging her elbow. It bashes another Horde soldier in the nose.

He's stunned. She finishes him off in a single strike. He whimpers, then the woods go silent.

Catra, Scorpia, and the two other soldiers are nowhere to be seen.

Then Entrapta comes running out of her house. Swift Wind gallops behind her, bags strapped to his saddle. They must have finished packing.

"What happened out here?" yells Entrapta. She scans the scene: two men in horde uniforms dead, She-Ra's sword covered in blood, her face contorted in anger. "Adora?"

She pants. "Where the hell are they?"

"It doesn't matter. We're ready to go."

* * *

Adora runs a hand through her hair. She's sweaty, out of breath, and there's a dull pain in her ribs. She looks around anxiously.

Entrapta works on securing the bags on Swift Wind's saddle.

"Why do you have so many things?"

"God knows when I'll be back here, Adora," Entrapta explains. "I've got to bring back as many of the island's native resources as I can!"

"I thought you said we were ready to go."

Entrapta hums, looping a strap through a ring. "We are. As soon as I can figure out how to support this bag's weight."

Adora's grip tightens on her sword's hilt. She's ready to turn into She-Ra again at any moment. How could she let Catra get away again? This is the second time she's had the opportunity to kill her, and this is the second time she failed.

Adora glances around, her eyes finally resting on Entrapta. At least she isn't a total failure; she's bringing Entrapta back to Bright Moon. That was the intial mission, wasn't it?

And as usual, Adora's moment of pride is short-lived, as an arrow comes firing towards her from deep within the forest. It's so unexpected, she doesn't move. Fortunately, it hits the tree a few feet behind her.

Adora knows that She-Ra doesn't stand a chance against Catra in the forest. She-Ra's too big, too clumsy, and the trees are too tightly-packed to allow her the full swing of her sword.

And Catra's the opposite: she's sneaky, nimble, and would absolutely kick She-Ra's ass.

"You know what?" Entrapta panics. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but forget the bag." She tosses it to the ground, its contents spilling out.

"That bag was full of rocks? Seriously?"

"Volcanic rocks!"

"No wonder they--" Adora's sarcastic comment is cut off by another arrow. It grazes her, ripping a tear through the shoulder of her red jacket. "Quick, get on Swift Wind!"

Entrapta hops on. Adora runs to join her. Her foot is in the stirrup. All she has to do is swing herself over, and Swift Wind will flap his wings and fly away and the mission will be a success.

But Adora hesitates.

"You won't win," insists Entrapta. She squeezes Adora's hand. "She-Ra won't win in the forest, and Adora won't win a four-on-one."

Despite Entrapta's logic, every cell in Adora's body tugs her towards the forest, towards the battle...

And then she collapses.

* * *

Adora drifts in and out of consciousness.

Each time she blinks, the face hovering over her changes. From Entrapta, to Swift Wind, to Scorpia...

* * *

When everything finally stops spinning and flickering (sorta), Adora's only aware of two things: the throbbing pain coming from the back of her head, and the dull pain around her wrists.

Adora looks down. She panics. Her hands are tied together with a rough rope. She tries to wiggle out, but they're tied tight, so all it does is chafe against the tender skin beneath. There's nothing she can do.

Except scream, of course.

"Help!"

"Shut up." It's some young kid in a Horde uniform.

Suddenly, some of Adora's memory comes back to her. "Where's Entrapta? Wait, where am I?"

"In a tent, obviously," says the soldier. He runs a hand through his slick brown hair. "And Entrapta's your friend with the crazy hair, right? She's--" Suddenly, Scorpia (wait, how long has she been there?) siezes the punk by the collar of his shirt. She glares at him, he frowns, and then he's sent stumbling out of the tent.

Adora groans. Nothing makes sense. Everything's fuzzy. She feels like throwing up. And seriously, where the hell is Entrapta?

When Scorpia's done dealing with the soldier, she crouches down next to Adora. "Are you feeling okay?"

Adora raises her arms to flash her rope-bound wrists.

"I don't really care about that," shrugs Scorpia. "I meant your head. Because damn, that was not a small rock."

"Rock?"

"Yeah. Your spatial awareness really sucks, by the way." Scorpia shakes her head. "You must be rusty or something, because you were all over the place. And Force Captain to ex-Force Captain... we're both trained better than that. Come on, Adora."

Why is Scorpia talking about her time at the Horde? That was thousands of years ago. "Where's Entrapta?"

"I'm not supposed to tell you that."

Adora huffs. "Please."

"Nope," sings Scorpia. "I can't believe she didn't see John or Jack or whatever his name is come up behind you, though. It's not like he's sneaky... the boy's so clumsy he's only allowed to drink from plastic cups. Isn't she meant to be the smart one?"

The rest of the conversation is a blur. Adora glazes over it, humming and nodding whenever Scorpia pauses. She still doesn't understand what happened, but she'll find out eventually.

For now, she needs to free her hands.

* * *

It doesn't take too long.

When Scorpia leaves, Adora scans the tent for something sharp she can grind the rope on (wait, where's her sword?).

She finds nothing. The tent's completely empty, except for a single sleeping bag. So all Adora can do is gnaw at the rope with her teeth. She bites at it, and maybe it's because it's so damn worn, but the filthy bind is surpisingly quick to come apart.

Adora brushes a stray piece of hair out of her face (it's been bothering her all day). Freedom feels awesome. Though her wrists are red and sore, she does her best to shake it off and jumps to her feet. Spots fill her vision for a moment, and she sways on her feet. She's a bit lightheaded, but that's yet another thing she's going to have to shake off.

Because Adora needs to find her sword, and she needs to find Entrapta.

She does her best to stay quiet as she sneaks out of the tent. The cool, crisp air makes her realize just how stuffy that stupid thing was. Adora looks around. She's in a forest, trees all over, no other tents nearby.

Strange.

But there's a light coming from further within the woods. Campfire. It's probably where the other Horde tents are located.

Adora scans the ground for something she can use as a weapon. The sticks at her feet seem too dry and brittle, and she shouldn't really snap one off a tree if she's trying to be quiet, so she settles on a rock.

Besides, apparently they make great weapons.

As Adora begins to approach the camp, she hears leaves rustling. It's too dark to see who it is, but somebody is headed her way. Adora holds her breath.

They walk right past her.

Adora continues sneaking towards the camp, but then she hears her tent unzip, and Scorpia yells, "Shit, Adora's gone!"

Fuck.

* * *

She stands in place for a long time. 

She doesn't dare breathe or move. Scorpia and two others pass by her several times, before assuming she must have gone the other way, and suddenly the coast is clear.

Even then, she waits a few minutes before rushing over to the campfire.

There are two tents on either side. Adora pokes her head into one of them. It's almost as sparse as hers, with only an extra sleeping bag and a few supplies. She figures her sword is in the other one: the Force Captain tent.

She unzips it, ready to take a look, but she's stopped in her tracks by a sharp voice from behind her.

"Hey, Adora."

Adora turns around slowly. Catra is sitting by the fire. How did she not notice her? Damn, her spatial awareness really is shit.

"You're just gonna stand there? Don't be rude, now."

Adora doesn't know what to do. Catra's just... sitting there. She doesn't seem like she wants to fight, but there's still a threatening tone to her words.

"You won't find what you're looking for in there."

Adora checks anyways. She's disappointed. She's also tired, and worn out, and her head is pounding, and she's probably going a little crazy, so she joins Catra by the fire.

Her eyes widen in surprise. "There are no marshmallows here, Princess. You sure you wouldn't rather be in a castle?"

"There are lots of places I'd rather be, honestly, but my options are a bit limited right now."

Catra shrugs. "I mean, you could try to leave. But you'd be unarmed and alone and injured--"

"I'd take those chances," growls Adora. Just a moment ago, everything was okay. She was She-Ra, she was fighting, and she was winning. She was ready to go back to Bright Moon, to take Entrapta home, to be a hero. But then she hesitated. Once again, she ruined everything. And now Entrapta's gone, and so is Swift Wind, and so is her sword.

Her stupid fucking sword.

Catra looks at Adora blankly. Adora doesn't even consider attacking her. She's unarmed, and rusty, and her head is still pounding. She feels as hopeless as she did months ago, lying in her bed. There's so much she should have done, or should be doing, but she can't.

She didn't.

"Adora?" Catra raises an eyebrow.

Adora blinks. "Hm?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

The fire between them flickers. Fuzzy shadows dance on Catra's face. A thin column of smoke rises in the air, and Adora wonders if anyone can see it. Probably not. Adora grumbles. "I mean, my head hurts. So there's that. And I'm stuck on Beast Island with you."

"We won't be here long, Princess," smirks Catra. "We're going back to the Fright Zone."

Adora rolls her eyes. Of course they are. That's where Catra always takes her. Then, suddenly, Adora remembers Glimmer's plan. If she went through with it successfully, then there won't be a Fright Zone to go back to. The Princesses will have control of the land, and when Catra returns with Adora, they'll save her.

"What's got you so excited?" asks Catra, half-angry and half-curious.

Adora shrugs. "I'm brain damaged, I guess. Thanks for that, by the way."

"The rookies were pissed you killed their friends. For the record, I told them not to touch you. I just wanted Entrapta." Catra clenches her fists, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, shit. Shit, shit, I _really_ needed her..." She shoots up and kicks the log she was sitting on. "Fuck, you better be good enough for Hordak."

Adora plays with her thumbs. Even through the dim light of the fire, she can see the bruises forming on them.

You know, she liked making fruit cake with Glimmer. She liked throwing reindeer at Bow. And she just doesn't have the energy to be mad at Catra anymore. Any time she's tried to fight her, she's ended up hurt, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore.

Maybe perfect hands are underrated.

"Okay." Adora breaks the silence. She's so quiet, she's barely heard over the crackling embers. "I'll go with you. Just don't tie me up again."

Catra gazes at Adora, wide-eyed, as though she's trying to analyze her. "I don't trust you."

"I promise I won't leave."

In the moment, Adora doesn't realize the weight of those words for Catra. But then she sees her face change for a quick second. "Bullshit. But it's not like I'll even give you a chance. You're not leaving my sight until we get to the Fright Zone."

Adora doesn't know how she feels. She's done feeling bad for abandoning Catra, and it's not like she didn't ask her to go with her, and the situation is just so damn complicated. And Adora's just too damn tired to process all those feelings. Not now, not again.

But right now, Catra's just another person she's disappointed. And while she doesn't feel bad for it, she still feels something, so she'll stick with her until they make it to the Fright Zone.

And God knows what will happen when they get there.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> holy shit.
> 
> it's been over a month since i've updated. please don't think i've forgotten ab this story because i really havent, it's all planned out and idk i just haven't gotten around to writing. i'm so sorry. anyways. i don't know when i'll update next. each time i say it'll prolly be soon, but idk. i don't wanna lie to you guys. i feel like it'll be soon, but i really have to do the next chapter right because it's important, so who knows?
> 
> i also know i've said that i've been going thru a hard time, and everyone's been really supportive, so thank you, my life up until these past few months has been perfect, but then suddenly god threw a tidal wave my way, and i've only now come out of the other side. 
> 
> im finally starting to feel okay again. been partying, drinking, smoking, going out with my new guy, and am suddenly feeling like a teenager again. everything's finally okay. 
> 
> so i wanna tell you that i'll be updating soon. & hopefully that's true this time, but don't bank on it lol. and pls comment, bc i love reading thru them! :) luv u guys.


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